Monday, 3 November 2014

Mmmmm Mulberries!

 
Today I had a lovely afternoon with my friend who lives around the corner. I sketched her mulberry tree while she pottered around in her garden. I just did the ink outline before I downed tools to help with picking a bowl full of mulberries. I added the paint in the evening.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Below are the ones I got to bring home with me! Yum!
 
 
Afterwards we enjoyed a cup of tea on her balcony where I admired her latest craft work and other spoils from her garden.
 
 
Below is a gorgeous old-fashioned rose bush she has growing near where we sat.
 
 
Meanwhile in my own garden the plumbago hedge is beginning to flower and will soon be a mass of blue.
 
 
My standard iceberg roses, which only weeks before, were nothing more than tangles of bare branches and rose-hips, are now lush masses of leaves and blooms after a brisk trim and a dose of liquid fertiliser. 
 
 
The rose below is hidden by the bin so I have to remember to go and admire it.
 
 
My hydrangeas are beginning to bloom but are only small having not been given enough fertiliser I fear.
 
 
The bougainvillea practically burns the retinas out with its high voltage colours. Just glorious!!
 
 
Now if you have got this far, please stay to enjoy some photos I took a couple of weekends ago when I visited the Groat Street festival on the edge of some local bushland. It was an event to promote sustainable community living. My daughters came along and we also met up with a friend. It was such a beautiful day with the stalls looking vibrant and interesting against the bush back-drop. It all felt very country-townish and was a very pleasant way to pass the morning. We joined a women's Aboriginal bush walk with a guide from Bindi Bindi Dreaming who amongst other things showed us which plants could be eaten as bush tucker. Having such a love of our native bush I really enjoy this sort of thing and had been on one of her tours a year or so ago at another bush reserve.

 
Marissa is a very entertaining guide and is a wealth of information about the local Noongar culture.


 
 The seed pods below lather up beautifully with a bit of water and make for a great bush soap.




 
This wonderful stall below made me feel like I was back in Glastonbury in the UK. It was run by Sarah who has a website at www.handmadewonderland.net
 
 
One of my daughters bought a few organic vegetable seedlings.
 
 




 
 

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29 comments:

  1. Debbie Nolan3 November 2014 at 10:43

    Dearest Wendy - wow - your drawing and painting of the mulberries are superb! That is my kind of painting for sure. Of course I would have been real tempted to eat the fruit before I got it on paper-lol. Love your gorgeous garden...I need to come see you during our winter often - those roses are to die for - so beautiful. This festival looks awesome. Loved seeing how that plant lathered up. So interesting. Great pictures my friend. Thank you for warming my day. Hugs

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    1. Wendy Barrett15 November 2014 at 18:06

      Thanks so much Debbie, I was eating the fruit while I was doing the drawing - I was just being VERY careful not to get juice everywhere!

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  2. Lorraine Brown3 November 2014 at 12:05

    A post with so much Wendy, your mulberry sketch perfect, photos are fabulous

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    1. Wendy Barrett15 November 2014 at 18:35

      Thanks Lorraine, I so enjoyed your latest post of the workshop you attended!

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  3. Joan Tavolott3 November 2014 at 12:44

    I love your mulberry sketch! Your photos of the flowers and the festival are great. It is nice to see things in bloom now that our autumn is so well under way. Enjoy!

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    1. Wendy Barrett15 November 2014 at 18:36

      Thanks Joan, I'm just about to head over to your blog to catch up!

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  4. Celia Blanco3 November 2014 at 13:52

    Hi Wendy, your Mulberry sketch is beautiful! You have so much inspiration around you, and your garden is overflowing with gorgeous colors!
    I love attending events like those,I didn't know you can use a plant as soap! Wow! I'm happy to see you out and about, enjoy!

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    1. Wendy Barrett15 November 2014 at 18:43

      Thanks Celia, yes, that plant amazed all of us onlookers. When walking through the bush you would never guess at the amazing bounty of food and medicine that lies within.

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  5. martinealison3 November 2014 at 17:48

    Bonjour chère amie,

    Un billet riche en évènements...
    J'aime beaucoup cette aquarelle avec les mûres qui "hummm..." me donnent l'eau à la bouche !
    J'ai eu la chance de pouvoir ramasser beaucoup de mûres dernièrement et de faire de la confiture ! Bien évidemment c'était des mûres sauvages qui étaient loin d'être aussi grosses et belles que celles que vous nous montrez. Leur forme allongée est aussi très intéressante.

    L'ensemble de vos photos sont magnifiques... Toutes ces fleurs qui arborent le jardin me font penser qu'il va falloir que j'attende encore longtemps pour les apercevoir dans le mien ! Nous sommes en France en automne...
    Nous avons toutefois bénéficié d'une très belle arrière saison qui semble se gâter aujourd'hui...
    J'aurais aimé pouvoir participer à cette belle promenade que vous avez fait avec ce guide qui vous apprend plein de choses sur les plantes... et la visite de ce marché, juste un régal !
    Merci pour ce moment de bonheur en votre compagnie.

    Gros bisous ☂

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    1. Wendy Barrett15 November 2014 at 19:03

      Thanks so much Martine. These mulberries are probably different to your blackberries and that is why their shape is longer. Blackberry jam sounds wonderful! I'm glad you enjoyed looking through my garden and the festival. Yes, you would certainly enjoy the guided walk through the bush as our guide was VERY knowledgeable.
      I hope you are enjoying your autumn weather there in France!

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  6. Laura4 November 2014 at 00:53

    Hi Wendy... Well this towny really enjoyed your post today. Lovely to see what you have been up to. Just wondering if mulberries have thorns. Though judging by your fabulous sketch they haven't. See I said I was a towny. You have just taught me something today. lol. Have fun with your lovely weather and spare a little thought for us over here in the cold now. Though last week it was 24 degrees in London. Really unusual for this time of year. Hottest Halloween on record. Take care and chat to you soon. xx

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    1. Wendy Barrett15 November 2014 at 19:12

      Thanks so much Laura! I'm a townie too these days, all these photos were taken in the middle of suburbia, we are lucky to have well preserved remnant bushland dotted throughout the suburbs. This particular bushland (260 acres) was facing the bulldozers in the 1980s to make way for a housing development, but thank God the locals fought tooth and nail to protect it - my neighbour was amongst their number. I had yet to move to the neighbourhood at the time but I always feel grateful to those who saved it every I walk through it.

      No mulberries don't have thorns and they grow on trees rather than bushes like blackberries.
      I hope the temps haven't been too cold for you or are you still getting unusually warm autumn weather? xx

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  7. Jane4 November 2014 at 06:30

    Mulberries are just sooo good, really envy you that plate , and you painted them beautifully ! You are going towards a wonderful season , real candy for the eyes seeing all those luscious and colorful flowers .

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    1. Wendy Barrett15 November 2014 at 19:14

      Thanks so much Jane! Do you have many things flowering through autumn where you live? I love your latest abstract!

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  8. Kaethe Bealer4 November 2014 at 08:02

    What a great post! I loved it. Your painting is great too! I can see that you are surrounded by inspirational images! Thanks for taking me on a tour!

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    1. Wendy Barrett15 November 2014 at 19:15

      Thanks Kaethe! I am going to see about buying a copy of your book this very day!!

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  9. Helen Cooper5 November 2014 at 01:49

    Hi Wendy, great to hear from you! I had a terrific time but didn't get around to sketching in Paris but did do some painting in Spain.
    I love your mulberry painting...... Beautiful ! And your post was so interesting, what an fun time you all had. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Wendy Barrett15 November 2014 at 19:16

      Hi Helen, I'm so pleased to hear you have a wonderful time in Europe. I hope you will post some of the paintings you did while in Spain? Thanks for visiting!

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  10. art by Michael Perchard5 November 2014 at 13:19

    Hey Buddy! I love the mulberry painting! Luscious comes to mind! Great job of rendering them! Love the fruit and the leaves! Well done Wendy! Also so very love all the photos of your friend and her garden! So very, very different than here in New England! Also love the photos at the end of your post! So very "Australian!" So lucky to have you in Australia sending posting so many wonderful photos of your beautiful country! I never realized you had so much greenery! So many painting and drawing inspirations! Keep them coming!
    Warm weather is so very foreign now! Snow the other day and the fall weather is quickly turning into winter weather! Brrrrr! But I love it! Take care Wendy!
    Michael

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    1. Wendy Barrett15 November 2014 at 19:30

      G'day Michael! Thanks so much - I'm glad you enjoyed the post! My friend's garden is quite an old-fashioned country garden which I love. A lot of gardens these days are very trendy minimalist styles so it's a treat to still have gardens around with lots of trees and flowers. Ours is one of them - I so love our trees!
      Yes, the native bush around Perth is quite dense and green compared to what you would find a couple of hours inland from here in the wheat-belt. Another couple of hours again and you are into goldfields country which is semi-arid and the earth is a lovely rich red colour. I'm glad you are enjoying your cold weather - you always inspire me to appreciate whatever mother nature dishes up!
      Your Finding It Super Easy To Enjoy The Spring Weather art buddy!

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  11. juliefordoliver.blogspot.com16 November 2014 at 08:05

    Your painting is beautifully natural, Wendy. I love the way you captured the direction of the leaves. I know the berry is the star but the supporting cast is perfect too!
    The pic of you smiling with sketchbook in hand is a treasure - you are so pretty.
    I enjoyed seeing the market scenes and as I am working on a large commission of one - some snippets inspired me for color and flow. All together a really outstanding and interest post. Thanks for taking the time, Wendy.

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    1. Wendy Barrett21 November 2014 at 16:04

      Julie, thank you for such a lovely, thoughtful comment! I'm glad the market scenes were timely for you - I hope you will post your commission when it is finished. I know it will turn out stunning with you behind the paintbrush! I really appreciate your visits and in turn I get so much out of visiting your wonderful blog!

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  12. Susan21 November 2014 at 14:42

    Hi, endy - I love how you have painted teh berries set off by those lovely leaves. And thank y ou for the wonderful photos - they are delightful and so interesting.

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    1. Wendy Barrett21 November 2014 at 16:11

      Thanks so much for visiting Susan! I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. I was very impressed to see you were exhibiting one of your wonderful paintings in the Boston Art Show.

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  13. Unknown22 November 2014 at 17:39

    Oh! That marketplace looks like so much fun! And the bush walk too!
    I like your mulberry painting, and really admire how you got the most of your mulberry picking day! You do so many cool things!

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  14. Unknown22 November 2014 at 20:34

    what a gorgeous post Wendy!! I so loved the tour of your garden, how wonderful to have all those lovely things blooming so copiously...then to take the bush tucker tour. ..must have been very interesting, then the handmade market. Your drawing/watercolour of the mulberry berries is lovely. I love going to handmade market's dont you? I am going to one tomorrow. I shall try and remember to take some photos.

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  15. Barbara Muir22 November 2014 at 23:30

    What a treat. Here we are with snow already -- melting today because it's above zero, but it's full on winter! I really have to work hard at not being jealous. Lovely drawing and painting!

    XOXOXOXOXO Barbara

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  16. Debi Hinshaw23 November 2014 at 14:23

    I enjoyed your photos Wendy, lovely scenes that are warm and inspiring. Your mulberry sketch is very good. Enjoyed seeing the photos from the festival as well. Your flowers are gorgeous!!

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  17. Wendy Barrett4 December 2014 at 16:52

    Katherine, Sally, Barbara and Debi thanks so much for your comments, I really appreciate your ongoing interest in my blog and I get so much from visiting your wonderful blogs - which I intend to catch up on today!!

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